Spring fastening device.



E.- B. FAHNE STOCK.

SPRING FASTENING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4, 1911.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNESSES E S. F/WNESTOCK.

SPRING FAS EWING DEHCE.

APPLlCATiON FILED 001. 1911,

g g Pufented Apnii, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

,f? r v A p 1 1/ up L n M W W.

" nib ERNEST BENJAMIN FAHNES'IOCK, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SPRING FASTENING DEVICE.

merits.

Specification of Letters Patent."

Patented Apr. a, roar.

. Application filed October 4, 1911. Serial No. 652,3

To all whom it may concern:

li it known that l, l lnxns'r li'. FinNn- S'IW'li, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Fastening Devices, of wlnch the followin is a s )ecitieation aceom )anied an equal number of wires terminating atthe same point, as for instance, in connecting one telephone cable to another, or in connecting a telephone cable to a plurality of branching or distributing wires equal in number to those comprising the cable.

Another object of the invention is to produce 'a spring fastening device especially designed and constructed for mounting upon a base or support either singly. or in pairs, or in rows, or in any other desired arrangement. for connecting the conducting wires, dependingmpon the conditions to be met.

Further objects of the invention are to prevent the fastening device or devices from becoming twisted or loosened upon the insulating base or support, enable a greater number of fastening devices to be arranged end to end in rows in a given space; and reduce surface leakage due to dirt and moisture collecting on the base. i

Each fastening device is preferably constructed in duplex form, havinga plurality of independently operatable electrically connected parts, each adapted to firmly hold a conducting wire, thereby maintaining an electric circuit between the wires so held and in order. to render the operation of the device certain, even with careless handling,

1 means are provided for preventing interference with the operation of'one part by the insertion of a wire in the other part.

To these ends the invention consists of the device substantially as hereinafter described and claimed in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in Which Figure l is a perspective view of a springfastening device embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of one end;

Fig. 3 is aside elevation; I

. l. is an elevation of the-other end;

5 is a bottom plan view; (i is a detail view of a dividing-partition; s

Fig. 7 cation;

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of Fig. 7;

Figs. 9, l0 and 11 are. perspective views of modifications of the device;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the application of the clamp to one form of connecting block;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the application of the clamp to another form of connecting block or strip;

Fig. 14 is a partial side view. of Fig.13; and

. Fig. 15 is an end view of Fig. 13.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to G inclusive. the detail construction of the preferred form of spring fastening device is shown. preferablyformed in one piece, from a strip of sheet metal, although the device may be-made in as many pieces as desired and out of any suitable form of material.

The fastening device comprises a supporting member E, arranged to stand at approximately right angles to an insulating base or support, one end of said supporting member E being slit at each side and bent to form a securing member F." The supporting member E is provided with the legs I and the securing member F has two legs Q. projecting therefrom, so that the, device is adapted to stand upon the legs PandQ.

The other end of the supporting mem'ber E bent to form a body-member G situated opposite the securing member Fand divided at S and looped upon itselftoformtvvo independentlyoperatable spring members H,

said spring members H being bent in a direction reverse to the loops to form thumb pieces 0. The body member G has projecting .from it resistant members J adapted to co-act with the spring members H to clamp the conductors. The spring members H are provided with slots K adapted in this instance to pass over the resist-ant members J. The junctions of the looped portions of the is a perspective view of a. modifi-' adapted to lie.

spring members with the reversely bent form of construction so devised that interthumb pieces 0 form angular retaining porference with the operation, of one part by tions L in which the conducting wires are the insertion of a member in the other part prevented without the use of the divided In order to insert the wires into the departition '1. In this modification one spring vice, pressure is applied upon one of the finmember H is offset longitudinally from the ger pieces 0, forcing the slot K over the'corother spring member if. The resistant responding resistant member J and the'ter member J cooperating with the spring mem- Ininal is inserted through said resistant H is located at a greater distance from the member, upon which the spring member is supporting member E than the distance berelease'd, thereby firmly gripping and holdtween the imistant member-J and the suping the terminal in defined position in the porting'men'iber E. By this means the .re-

angular retaining portion In inserting sistant'membe'r J is brought opposite the one wire in one part of the. spring fastening looped portion of the spring member H and device, the end of the wire is apt to project if a wire is inserted farther than necessary too far transversely across the fastening dein the part H, said wire will project vice beyond tliedividing slot S and interfere through the loop of the part II and will not with the proper operation of the other part interfere with the proper operation of said I of the fastening device. If the wire should part H.

project too far, the other spring member In Fig. 9 a modification of the device is cannot be manipulated, because said-wire shown in which the securing member is would prevent the spring member from be omitted and the supporting member E is ing forced downwardly far enough to perprovided with a bolt 5 suitably fastened to init the insertion of the opposite wire. I the supporting member E as by means of 1 therefore provide means for preventing the solder and adapted to b sccured to the base insertion of wire in one part of the device or support as by means of the nut (i.

from interfering with the proper operation In the modification shown in Fig. 10, the of the other part of the device. In F 1g. 6 I securing member is omitted and the legs of --tween the spring members. The slot U of ed to bear upon the base or support.

have shown a partition T preferably of the supporting memberv E are omitted.

metal and slotted at U. This partition is Said member E is prov ded with the bolt 7 adapted to be inserted in the spring fastensuitably secured thereto as by means of sol 95."

mg device from the rear in the slot S. beder and provided with the shoulders R adaptthepartition passes over the body portion G In the modification of the invention shown in the position indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. in Fig. 11, a single fastening device is shown I The 'short tongue R provided for this purhaving the supporting member Ff provided 10f pose on the securing member F, is then bent with the bolt 10 suitably secured thereto upwardly asindicated in Fig. 1, holding as by means of solderand provided with the partition in place; The partition T the shoulders lladaptcdto bear upon the limits the extent to which a terminal may be base or support. If a plurality of single inserted transverselyin the spring fastening spring fastening devices are secured to a. 0' device and prevents interference by one tcrbase or support, it is desirable to maintain minal at one side of the partition with the the body members out of contact with the operation of the spring member at the oppobase or support for the same reasons that site side of the partition. it is desirable to maintain the body members Suitable means are provided for holding of the double devices out of contact with 11( the fastening devices upon a base or supthe base or support. and the function of the port, in this instance the securing member F supporting member which supports the beingprovided with an aperture X'preferspring fastening device is the same in all ably punched out of the metal and the bur the. modifications shown.

Y formed around the hole. is preferably in- In Fig. 12, one use of the fastening device teriorlyscrew threaded to receive the tip of is shown adapted 'to connect the terminals a screw Z. The screw is adapted to be of twown'cs to'thc. terminals of two corpassed through the base from the rear and responding wires. fi rcprcscnts ablock of hold the spring fastening device tightly suitable insulating inatlirial preferably proupon the base. By thismeans a spring lock vided with the longitudinal grooves l". The' in effect formed between the screw Z and two spring fastening devices are mounted the securing member F, because as the screw upon the block A with the legs I and 'Q is tightened the metal of the securing memin said grooves. The legs I as shown boa r ber F is'flexed and reacts to tighten the against the edges 4' of the grooves, while threads of the bur upon the tip of the screw. the legs Q bear against the opposite edges Any other suitable means may be provided 7" of the grooves. The fustenin" devices for holding the fastening device upon a base. cannot tlwrefore be twisted after being In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown av modified mounted in place, but are n'iaintained firmly in proper relation. Obviously, any other suitable-means could" be devised for maintaining the proper relations between the spring fastening devices and the insulating blo'clr A. Another application of the invention is show n'in' Figs. 13, 1% and 15, in which A represents ablock or strip of suitable insulating material, preferably porce- "lain, of greater length than width, constitilting the base or support. The spring fastening devices as shown in' this instance are mounted in longitudinal rows upon the base A, and each rowis preferably arranged in staggered relation to the adjacent row, so that'the conductor terminals C and D to be electrically'connected may be inserted in the fastening .devices from each side transversely to. the longitudinal axis of the block or strip. The block or strip is preferably Secured verticallyin the proper location and as many connecting blocks or strips may be used as. necessary. They may also be arranged horizontally or in any other position,

as thenecessities of the case may require, but

in the drawings, the base A is presumed to be secured vertically against a wall or other support.

ing wires at a given point may be electrically connected to an equal number of wires terminating atthe same point. I

1 Suitable means are provided for maintaini ngjthe fastening devices in proper position, in this instance the block A being provided with longitudinally extending grooves V and W and the spring fastening devices are mounted upon-the base A with the legs P and Q in said grooves. One row of devices are mounted in the grooves V and'another row in the grooves W. The legs P of the devices are adapted to bear against the edges a of the grooves, while the legs Q,

bear against the opposite edges 6 of the grooves, thus preventing the devices from being twisted.

,In order to economize space and material and afford provision for mounting as many fastening devices as possible in a row within agiven length, I prefer to form each fastenin' device withthe body member, G inclined angle toward the base. A. The body nen jbersare therefore inclined awayfrom a plane "parallel to the insulatlng base and toward the base and by this means space in a longitudinal direction is economized and the' fastenlng devices are easler to operate when the strip is pla'cdd vertically. As Figs. 13 and [1a are viewed, it will be seen that the. thumb pieces 0 extend outwardly at substantially a right angle to the plane of theb ase A and this construction is provided in order to afford increased leverage in manipulating the spring members when the assembled device is mounted in posi- By means of such a cable connecting block or strip a plurality of conduct tion. By mounting the fastening devices upon the legs P and Q, thus maintainingthe body members F out of contact with the base,surface leakage due to dirt and mois-' ture collect-mg on the insulating base is,

greatly reduced, which is a' feature of importance,

I claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent the following: i

1. A spring fastening device for electrically connecting a plurality of conducting wires, comprising a plurality of independently operatable spring parts arranged side by side and electrically connected, each part adapted to hold firmly a conducting wire,

' thrust therethrough transversely of the spring parts of the fastening device, thereby maintaining an electric circuit between the wires so held, and means for preventing interference with the operation of' one spring partby the insertion of a wire transversely in the other spring part.

2. ,A spring fasteningdevice for electri' cally connecting a plurality of conducting wire, thereby maintaining an electric air cuit between the wires so held, and a divid ing partition between the two parts of the fastening device, whereby interference-with the operation of one part by the insertion of a wire in the other part is prevented.

1 A spring fastening device for electrically connectinga plurality of conducting wires, comprising a body member, a plurality of independently operatable spring members electrically connected, a plurality of resistant members cotiperating 'with thespring members, and a dividing partition between the two spring members, whereby interference with the operation of onespring member by the insertion of a wire in the other spring member is prevented.

5. A spring fastening. device, comp ising a supporting member adapted to stagd at approximately right angles to a supp rt, a body member attached to said supporting member, thereby being maintained out of contact with said support, said body"memher being longitudinally slotted at its free end and looped on itself to form' two indeprojecting upward from the body member,

and. electriiailly connected opposing spring members body member 'at the forward end of the body member, then .dowmvardly toward, the

resistant members and in proximity there to, then upwardly away from thebody member.

T. A spring fastening device. comprising a supporting memhcarranged to stand at i approximately right anglesto, a support,

one end of saidsupportingmember being slit and bent to io'rm aisecuring member and supporting legs. the other end of said supporting member being bent to form the body memberof the spring fastening device, said body member'being situated opposite the securing member and being divided and looped upon itself to Form two indciicnd; g'ently (niei'atablc bodyimeinlwr having .proj a'ting from it res stant members adapted to coact with said spring members to. clamp the conductors,

and means for 1= reventing interference with the operation of one spring member the Insertion of a wire transversely of the fasten ngdevice in the other spring member.

8., A spring fastening device, comprising 40 a supportinganeinber having-one end slit and bent to form a 1securing member and supporting I legs for maintaining the remainder of the device out of contact with a support. the, other-end bent to form independently operatable spring members QlGClillCtlllY connected,

said body member '50 having proJecting from it resistant members:

projecting upwardly from the spring, members electrically connected. said spring ineml1 ers being ient in a" direction reverse to the loops,said

a body. '15 member, the body. member being situated opposite the: securing inemberand being" divided and looped upon itself to form two vices out of contact with the insulating base,

ently operatable electrically connected parts, each adapted to firmly hold a conductingwvire, thereby maintaining an electric circuit between the wires so held, a securing .inember provided With' a screw threaded aperture, a screw for holding said securing member 'iipona base or support, and supporting legs for said device for maintaining the remainder of the device out of contact with a support.

11. A spring fastening device for electrica] conductors, comprising a securing meniber formed of sheet-metal having great' width than thickness and provided with legs at'cach side to maintain thesecuring mem-, her out ofcontact with asupport, and a body member extending over said securing 'membe and looped on itself to form a spring member.

12. A spring fastening device for electrical conductors, comprising a securing memher 'i'ormed ot sheet metal having greater width than thickness and provided with legs at front and back to maintain the securing member out of contact with a support, and iaiiipcratingmembers for clamping a con, ductor extending over said securing member.

.13. A connecting block for electrically connecting the terminals of-one set of conducting wires at one side of a support tothe terminals of. another set at the..; other. side, comprising-a base of insulating material, and rowsot' spring fastening devices mounted thereon, each row in staggered relation to 'the adjacent row: each fastening device having a plurality of independently operat- '100 able electrically. connected parts maintained out ofcontact with the support and adapted to receive and firmly hold the conducting wireswhen thrust end to end into the fasteningdevicc from both sides transversely to the fastening device and transversely to the direction of extent of the rows of said devices.

14. A connecting block; for electrically connecting the terminals of one set of conducting wires at oneside of a support to the terminals of another set at the other side, comprising a base of insulating material, and spring fastening devices mounted thereon, .aid fastening devices having legs adaptgod to support the main body portions of the devices out of contact with the insulating base.

15. A connectingablock, for electrically connecting the terminals of one set of conducting wires at one side of a support to the terminals ofnmother set at the, other side, comprising'a base of"insulating material, spring, fastening devices mounted thereon, said fastening devices having legs adapted'to 128 support the niain'body portions oi the deand means on the base cooperating: with the emma legs to prevent the fastening devices from turning.

16. A connecting block, for electrically connecting the terminals of one set of conducting wires at one side of a support to the terminals of another set at the other side, comprising a base, of insulating material having greater length than Width, and rows of spring fastening devices mounted longitudinally thereon, each fastening device having a plurality of independently operatable parts electrically connected, each part adapted to hold firmly a conducting wire, the body portions of each part of said fastening de vices being inclined toward the base and away from a plane parallel to the insulating base, thereby afiording provision for arrang ing a greater number of said devices in a row in a given length. g

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ERNEST BENJAMIN FAHNESTOGK. Witnesses:

I'IENRY SHELDON,

A. C. PARHAM. 

